Brassiere



Dec. 21,V 1948. I J, v HOLLAR BRASS IERE Filed May 24, 1945 INVENTDR LTUHN HDLLAR AT T DRNEY Patented Dec. 21, Y. 1948 UNITED STATES PATNT foes-loi;

J'ohn Y. Hollar, Bridgeport, Conn., ass'gn'or Lto `'-.Ih'e La 'Resista Corset Company, Bridgeport, Go'n'n., "a copa'tin of Connecticut Application May T221, 1945, serial 10,595,509

(Cl. 12a-142) The present invention relates to a brassire, particularly of the type adapted to bede'tachably anchored to the upper marginal portion 'oi a girdle, to thus provide a combination brassire and girdle structure. This type of brassire, as heretofore constructed, Ausually vcornpr'ises a body encircling band having a iront section consisting of bust pockets, and a panel "secured at its upper edge to the lower edges of the vbust 'pockets and provided with means at its lower edge to 'detachably 'anchor'it to the girdle. `While this type off garment is vreasonably comfortable 'in astantiing posture of the wearer, 'it has 'the disadvantage that, upon assuming other posture's,`s'ueh as b'ackward, forward and `sidewisje bending, "stoopng, and sitting, it causes excessive 'strains upon `lthe body, because of its inability "t'o satisfactorily'adjust itself to the changing length'andco'ntour of the body.

It is an object of the invention "to provide 'a brassire in which the front -section'has 'inherent extension and contraction movement to compen.. sate for changes in the body length 'and contour, and to this end it is proposed toprovide a Ifront section comprising upper and lower overlapping and relatively movable parts, and elastic suspension means connecting the lwerpar't tothe upper part for the purposeof rIpernittirg relative' extension and vcontraction *movement between them. l e

It is further proposed, according to'theinvention, vto provide a Ibrassire wherein fthe lupper bust pocket part will remain 'in a substantially fixed relation to the shoulder line, while l"permitting the lower part of thebras'sire connectedto the girdle to automatically adjust itself t'o'the body length as the body curves forward, or backward, or sidewise, the elastic 'suspension means between the upper and lower partsof the brassire maintaining these relatively 'movable por tions in smooth tting relation and exerting'a force thereon to return them to their 'normal're-l lation upon assuming a standing posture. In this connection, it is pointed out that the distance between the busts andthe supportingfpointsof the shoulders upon which the shoulderstrapsare engaged is a substantiallyxed distance,`so"tl1'at variations in the curve and length'of the body, resulting from the assuming of different postures, do not take place along this bust to shoulder distance, but do occur to a great degree"below'the bust line. n

With the above and other "objects inview,ia'n embodiment'of theinvention is shown inftheiaccompanying drawings, 'and this embodiment )will be hereinafter more muy described with reference thereto, and the invention will -'be finally pointed out inthe claims.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a 'front elevation of a brassire, .ac. cording to the illustrated exemplary embodiment of theinvention, disposed in `a'ti'jened relation.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof., valso .disposed in attened relation.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View, taken .along the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. f1 is a perspective view, showing the ybrassire as worn in connection with a girdle, .the wearer being shown in a standing posture.

Fig. 5 is a similar view, showing Ithe wearer 1in a bending backward posture.

Fig. 6 is a similar View showingv the 'wearer in a sitting posture. e

Similar reference characters indicate corre sponding parts throughout the vseveral Vfigures .of the drawings. f

vReferring to the drawings, 'the brassireiac cording to the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention, comprises a front ysectionfsev cured between a pair -of Vforward rside sections Ill-I0 along stitching lines I I--I'I, and-compris-r ing an upper bust Apocket part oonsi-stingofiarfpair ofbust pockets IZ-I 2 and artransversebandfconsisting of a central portion cI3, :formed yof inon-l elastic fabric,and end portions 'I4- 14, 4formed of laterally stretchable elastic fabricytheullperfedge of this band being shaped tofconform'tothelower edges of the bust pockets 'and stitched thereto, and the lower edge 'being `arched upwardly fand having its ends secured along :thestitcliingflines I I-I I at points "substantiallyfatorslilg-htlylb'lbw the waistline o'f the wearer, Ythispoi'nt being iupwardly Aspaced from'th'e lower edge of the bras sire. The front section also comprises-a lower panel part I5, :secured at its side edges jalong 'the stitching lines vI I -II and having its lower *edge forming fthe'. lower edge vof' the yfront` of' the -rbrassire, vits upper portion extending ybeneath-the band portion of the upper'bust pocket-partfofthe brassire and having a central upwardly-extending`portion I6, adapted to lie between-the 'busts of the wearer, and connected tothe 'upper-edge of the bust pocketsl IZ-I 2fv by a verticallydis'posed elastic suspension tape I'I. The upper edge -ofthe band part I5` at eachside ofthe upwardlyextentiing central portion I lis arched downwardly,'`as at I8-I'8, to substantially'conform to thelower lines of thebusts, and vprefers'ibly lbeing"curved about' a shorter radius than "the "radius "'dfthe curvature of the lower edges of the bust pockets I 2.

Laterally stretchable elastic rearward side sections I9--I9 Aare secured between the rearward edges of the forward side sections Ill-I and the forward vertical edges of the two back sections 20-20, these back sections being preferably formed of non-elastic fabric and adapted to be secured together along the rearward center line of the garment by hook fasteners 2|, provided along the rearward edge of one of the back sections, and eye fasteners 22, secured along the rearward edge of the other back section.

Shoulder straps 23-23 are connectedbetween the bust pockets l2-I2 and the back sections '2U- 20, their rearward ends being connected to the upper edges of the back sections by meansof short elastic tape connections 24. While these short elastic tape connections are provided for the purpose of compensating for the downward pull of the back portion ofthe brassire in assuming sitting or forward bending postures, the shoulder straps are themselves nonfelastic, and provide a substantially non-stretching support between the shoulders of the wearer and the bust pocket formations of the brassire, it being vintended that the suspension support of the shoulder straps will be sufficient to maintain the for- Ward upper bust pocket portion of the brassire at a substantially constant distance from the supporting shoulders of the wearer, thus enabling a separation or extension pull between the lower panel part l of the brassire and the upper bust pocket part to stretch the suspension tape l'l and thus allow relative extension movement between these parts of the garment.

At the lower edge of the brassire, at suitably spaced points, there are provided anchoring hooks 25 for detachably securing the lower edge 'of the brassire to a girdle 26, the girdle requiring for this purpose suitable loops 2l for engagement by the hooks 2'5, and being provided at its lower edge with suitably arranged hose supporters 28. It is pointed out that the upper edge of the girdle is substantially at or slightly above the waistline of thefwearer, and in the lanchored position of the brassire, as shown in Figs. 4 to 6, the lower vmarginalportion of the brassire overlaps the upper marginal portion of the girdle. V

In the normal standing posture of the wearer, the relatively movable parts of the front section ofthe brassire are substantially in the positions illustrated in Fig. 4, the position of the upper bust pocket part being substantially iixed with respect to the bust through the non-stretchable support provided from the shoulders by the shoulder straps 23. The lower panel part l5, which is an-` chored to the upper marginal portion of the girdle 26, is normally supported from the upper edge of the'upper bust pocket part by the elasticsuspension tape ll. The suspension tape is therefore normally under slight tension, and maintains the upper edge of the panel part substantially taut, witha consequent maintenance of the smoothiitting relation of the upper marginal portionv ofthe panel part underlying the band of the bust pocket part. At the same time, the exposed portion of the .panel part l 5 is drawn into smooth conning relation to the diaphragm of the wearerthrough the cooperation of thev anchoring hooks 25 and the suspension tape, and provides a smooth body moulding band completely encircling the body in the region of the diaphragm and waistline and prevents iiesh bulges above the upper ,edgepf the girdle. The laterally elastic inserts I4 serve 4. to draw the lower edge of the bust pocket part into snug conforming relation with the panel part I5 while at the same time permitting this edge to yield.

In assuming a backward bending posture, as shown in Fig. 5, the upper bust pocket part maintains a substantially fixed relation with respect to the bust and shoulders, while the lengthening of the forward vertical central body line of the abdomen and diaphragm of the wearer causes the upper bust pocket part and the lower panel part of the brassire to .be extended with respect to each other, the elastic suspension tape ll stretching to permit thisrelative extension movement.v

Infresuming `a standing posture the tension of the tape will maintain a smooth tting relation of the panel part, so 'that the overlying band at the lower portion of the bust pocket part will slide smoothly thereon without causing bulges or Wrinkles within the garment and without injurious pressure and crowding of the partsoffthe body.

In assuming a 'sitting or forward bending posi ture, as shown in Fig. 6, the upper4 bust pocket part of the brassire will move relatively down-v ward over thepanel part,l and as the lower edge of the bust pocket part is arched above the waistlineit will not tend to jam and prevent its free downward movement, to the desired limit.

The elastic' suspension tape also permits relative raising movement of one side of the bust pocketpa'rt of the brassire independently of the other, and such movement as may occur when the arm and shoulder of one side of the wearer is raised, while the other arm and shoulder remains lowered. The flexibility of the general structure of the brassire, by arrangement of lthe elastic tapecentrally ofthe upper bust poclretv part, allows thebust pocket part at one sideto shift upwardly and .downwardly while the other side re-Y mains substantially unaffected. The restoring ac tionof'the tape! causes the brassire to resume its normal position upon lowering the arm and shoulder at Vone sideyvithout any impedance from bulges orwrinkles in the garmentQas the tension of the'sus'pension tape prevents the 'formation vof such bulges orfwrinkles.

I have illustrated. anddescribed a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of the invention," butit will beunderstood that changes may be fnade therein, within the spirit and" scope thereof, as defined yin* thelappended claims. ,Y `Havingthus described V.my invention, 'what lis claimedand desired ,to be secured by Letters Patent is; I j l. LA brassire comprising a body encircling band adapted to be .detachably connectedy at its lower edge to a girdle having its uppery marginal portion underlying. said brassire, said vbody en'- circling band'coinprising aback section, side sections, and a front section, said front section comprising an upper bust pocket part, including a pair of bust pocket portionsl and a transverse band portion secured to theA lower edges of said bust pocket portions having laterally yieldable insert means, and having itsl lower edge arched upwardly and' secured at each end to the forward edges of sai'dside sections in upwardly spaced relation to the loweredgesof said s ldesections, a lowerpanel partsecured at its side edges to theforward4 edges of said side sections having its upper portion'over, lapped bythebandportion of saidr bust pocket part and having a central upwardly extending portionadapted to lie between the. bustsof the wearer and being relatively movable vertically andere with respect to said band portion, and having its lower edge in substantiallylateral line with the lower edges of said side sections, shoulder straps connected between said bust pocket portions and said back section adapted to support the upper edges of said bust pocket portions in substantially fixed relation to the portion of the wearers body engaged thereby, and a vertically elastic suspension member secured at its upper end to said relatively xed upper edge of said bust pocket portions and secured at its lower end to the central upwardly extending portion of said lower panel part to yieldably support the latter.

2. A brassire comprising a body encircling band adapted to be detachably connected at its lower edge to a girdle having its upper marginal portion underlying said brassire, said body encircling band comprising a back section, side sections, and a front section, said front section comprising an upper bust pocket part, including a pair of bust pocket portions and a transverse band portion having vertically spaced transversely disposed upper and lower edges, said upper edge being secured to the lower edges of said bust pocket portion and said lower edge being free of attachment between its ends and secured at'each end to the forward edges of said side sections in upwardly spaced relation to the lower edges of said side sections, a lower panel part secured at 6 its side edges to the forward edges of said side sections having its upper portion overlapped by the band portion of said bust pocket part and relatively movable vertically with respect thereto, and having its lower edge in substantially lateral line with the lower edges of said side sections, shoulder straps connected between said bust pocket portions and said back section adapted to support the upper edge of said bust pocket portions in substantially xed relation to the portion of the wearers body engaged thereby, and vertically elastic suspension means extended upwardly substantially from the central portion of the upper edge of said lower panel part and secured at its upper end substantially centrally to said relatively iixed upper edge of said bust pocket portions to yieldably support said lower panel part.

JOHN V. HOLLAR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,078,099 Rotelli et al Apr. 20, 1937 2,296,343 Glasser Sept. 22, 1942 2,327,488 Becker et a1 Aug. 24, 1943 2,343,476 Rosenthal Mar. 7, 1944 

